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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · dip · cell · jam · pit · foot · spell · leaves

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cell — in biology
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cell — a phone
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. dip — to sink
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mine — for digging
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. foot — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com